Mysterious Coso Petroglyphs In California – Made By Whom And For What Reason?

Jan Bartek - AncientPages.com -  It’s often assumed our ancestors created rock art for a reason, and that’s true in most cases.

Some petroglyphs can have symbolic meaning, commemorate a noteworthy event, mark territorial boundaries, and keep track of time, while other images can be considered an illustration of daily life. Maybe ancient people hoped their petroglyphs would one day be found by future generations who wanted to learn about the history of those who lived in this region.

Coso petroglyphs. Credit: Bradshaw Foundation

We can only speculate about our ancestors' motives, and scientists are not shy to admit that interpreting rock art is challenging and sometimes even impossible. What we do know is that rock art provides a window into the past, and by studying these prehistoric images, we come closer to our ancestors.

Coso Petroglyphs Are Protected And Access To The Area Is Limited

The Coso petroglyphs are located in a 90 square-mile desert of interior southern California.

Those who want to see this rock art will find it difficult because access is limited since the protected petroglyphs are located within the Naval Air Weapons Station at China Lake. Access to the Coso petroglyphs is restricted to tours with Navy-approved guides.

There are several reasons why the mysterious Coso petroglyphs are so interesting.

The age of these rock carvings is undetermined, and it’s also uncertain what Native American culture made these fascinating ancient images. Still, it’s presumed it was a group of hunter-gatherers living in this area.

Were Native American Shamans Summoning Supernatural Powers?

We also do know the entire purpose of the images carved into basalt rocks in the canyons and plateaus of the Coso Mountains. We are not talking about a few petroglyphs. There are thousands of them here, and this rock art represents the highest concentration of its kind in North America.

The Coso petroglyphs consist of rock carvings depicting animals, such as bighorn sheep, deer, mountain lions, dogs, chuckwalla, turtles, and snakes. There are also curious images of abstract symbols and anthropomorphic figures. These strange-looking ancient figures remind slightly of the mysterious Utah petroglyphs in Sego Canyon, but it’s difficult to compare these ancient carvings.

It’s believed the first Coso petroglyphs were created 13,500 years ago, and later, they continued into historic times.

What was the purpose of the abstract patterns? There are images of grids, nested and bifurcated circles, shields, patterns of dots, and parallel and radiating lines. Could these ancient symbols have been important astronomical markers, boundary markers, ethnic identifiers, ritualistic signs, or vision quests? Were shamans summoning supernatural powers or perhaps telling stories?

A vision quest is an important Native American tradition. Credit: Adobe Stock - Свет Лана

One “theory interprets Coso rock art as the work of shamans or medicine men who drew natural symbols (mostly abstract geometric images brought to the mind's eye when in a trance), images of the animal spirit helper that assisted the shaman in obtaining supernatural power, or images of the shaman's transformation into that spirit.” ¹

Native Americans have long practiced a vision quest. This ancient spiritual tradition is meant to open the door to the spiritual world and help us find our path in life.

“A vision quest is a very important Native American tradition and usually consists of a series of ceremonies led by Elders.

Coso petroglyphs. Credit: Adobe Stock - sumikophoto

A vision quest is an attempt to achieve a vision of a future guardian spirit, often through fasting, isolation, and meditation. This process is strongly associated with the Native American Indian belief in animism, which is founded upon a belief that all of creation has a soul or spirit – including animals and plants.” ²

Could there be some connection between the abstract symbols and the wish to enter the spiritual world?

It has also been determined “Native American groups in the Great Basin commonly associate rain shamans with bighorn sheep. The prevalence of bighorn sheep in Coso rock art is interpreted as an indication that the area is particularly vested with supernatural power capable of controlling weather. This theory has been developed primarily by David Whitley, who has applied this interpretive framework to a wide range of sites throughout the Great Basin.” ¹

Therefore, it’s not wrong to assume the anthropomorphic figures are depictions of Native American shamans.

Updated on June 1, 2024

Written by Jan Bartek - AncientPages.com Staff Writer

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